Rag-doll joint



Sept. 1, 1925. 1,551,852

J. SCHWARTE RAG DOLL JOINT Filed Nov. 5, 1923 jnvcnfot Tt'l. E 5 :hw arTa Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

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To all whom it may concern: v 1

Be it known that I, Jnnm Sonwam'n, a citizen of the United Statearesiding at Lawton, in the county of Comanche and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Rag- Doll Joint, of which the following is a specificatio v The present invention relates to toys, and more particularl to figures or dolls.

An object of t is invention is to provide an improved connection for the limbs of a doll to secure thesame to the torso, particularly when the doll is of, the rag type or wherein ther are no rigid portions to which the tensioned parts may be secured.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insertible frame member which is equipped at opposite ends with socket portions for receiving the ball or semi-spherical end of limbs and for interbracing the socket portions against each other and against the action of a contracting spring which is connected to said ball ends of the limbs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotatable coupling between the torso and the limbs of a doll and which may be entirely embedded in the casing or outer fabric layer of the doll so as to leave no mechanical parts exposed and which. will also facilitate the effective closin in or sealing of the adjacent portions 0% and torso.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be understood from and in part be described in the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1, is a front elevation of a doll constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, enlar section rtions of the torso and the inner ends of t e arms, showing a connection for the arms constructed according to this invention.

the limbs Fig. 3 is a similar view of the lower portion of the torso and the inner ends ofthe lower limbs showing a connection con stricted according to the present invention,

. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of one of the limbs, showing the ball member, in place.

ferring to the drawing 10 designates the torso of a doll which may be of any size or configuration within practical limits and which is composed of a covering for outer wall which is filled o-r stuffed with a 60 suitable packing 11 as is the common practice in the construction of dolls of various types, particularly dolls of the rag type. The doll is provided with arms 12 and legs 13 which are of similar construction to that I of "the torso and which are adapted to be connected to the shoulder and lower portions of the torso respectively by the connecting device constructed according to this invention.

The invention provides a socket frame adaptedto extend across the shoulder portion of the torso 10 and embedded in the latter. The socket frame comprises a pair of rods 14 and 15 which are soldered or 7 otherwise suitably secured to a pair of sockets 16 which are arranged at opposite endsv of the frame and which open outwardly, the frame thus comprising the socket members 16 and their connecting rods 14 and 15. The socket members 16 are of semi-spherical configuration with outturned annular flanges 17 to which the rods 14 and 15 are secured; These flanges 17' also provide rings which fit in the shoulder pgrtions of the torso and over which may drawn the marginal edges of the covering ofthe torso 10 which constitutes overlapping flanges 18 for housing and securing the socket frame in the torso. Each limb of the doll is provided with a ball member. 19 at its inner endwhich is adapted to seat in a socket 16. The ball member 19 is of semi-spherical configuration and is ada ted to fit snuglly in its socket 16 and is pre erably of slig tly greater depth than the socket 16 and is provided with an annular outturned flange 20 adapted to he in spaced relation to the flange 17 of the socket member when the ball is seated in the socket member 16. As shown in Fig. 4 the covering of the limb 12 is turned in wardly over the flange 20 of the ballanember 19 to provide a flexible flange 21 Wl'llCh may be provided with a draw string 22, the draw string is drawn taut so as to pull the covering over the flange 20 and firmly hold the ball member 19 in place.

Each ball member 19 carries a loop or eye 23 which may be in the form of a staple having its free ends passing inwardly through openings-24 in the outer end of the ball member 19 and which may be turned over and soldered as at 25 against the inner wall of the ball member. The socket 16 is provided with an aperture in its inner end or bottom as shown at 26, and through which the eye 23 is adapted to extend, and in which the eye is free to turn as the limb is turned with its ball member 19 in the socket.

The-eyes 23 of the companion ball members are yieldingly connected together by a coil spring 27 or the like for tensionmg the balls in the sockets and for frictionally holding the limbs 12 and 13 in their various positions of adjustment. The-spring 27 is provided with hooks 28 or the like on opposite ends for engagement in the eyes 23, and the spring 27 lies within the socket frame and between the rods 14 and 15 thereof so as to brace the sockets 16 against tension of the spring 27.

In Fig. 2 the device is shown as applied to the shoulder portion of the doll while in Fig. 3 the same construction, varying slightly in proportions so as to dispose the sockets 16 at the desired relative angle and distance apart. The flanges 17 and 20 are spaced apart sufliciently to receive the flexible flanges 18 and 21 there between without unduly binding the flexible flanges together and thus preventing injury to the outer casing or wall of the doll.

It is apparent that when it is desired to adjust one of the limbs 12 or 13 it is only necessary to twist the same substantially axially, the ball members 19 turning in the socket member and the flanges 17 and 20 maintaining the ball members and the socket members in their relative axial positions so that the eyes 23 may freely turn in the openings 26. The spring 27 normally maintains the ball members 19 frictionally in their sockets 16 and thus holds the limbs in raised or lowered positions until they are manually forced against the tension of the spring into a new position.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a doll, a torso having opposed side openings, a pair of rigid socket members disposed within the torso at the openings and of greater diameter than the openings and provided with inwardly extending cup portions, rods extending transversely 1n the torso and rigidly connecting the socket members and serving as bracing members, limbs for the torso, rigid ball members secured at the inner ends of the limbs and having hemispherical portions fitting in the cups of said sockets, fasteners carried by the hemispherical portions and rotatably passing through openings provided centrally in said cups, and a spring disposed trans versely in the torso and connected with the inner ends of said fasteners and exerting pull upon the ball members for binding the same in the sockets and frictionally holding the limbs in'adjusted positions.

2. In a doll, a torso, limbs for the torso, a rigid socket frame mounted in the torso for each pair of limbs and having the sockets thereof facing outwardly, a rigid ball member mounted upon the inner end of each limb and adapted to rotatably seat in the adjacent socket, said sockets having openings at their inner ends, eyes carried by the ball members and projecting through said openings of the sockets and rotatable therein, and a spring extending transversely in the torso and connected at opposite ends to the inwardly extending eyes of the adjacent pair of ball members.

3. In a doll, a torso having at opposite sides angularly disposed limb attaching portions, limbs for the torso, rigid sockets fittin in said angularly disposed portions and facing outwardly, interbracing rods entending between each pair of sockets for holding the same in their relative angular positions and in spaced apart relation, rigid ball members for the limbs attached thereto and seated in said sockets, and a spring arranged between the sockets and rods and connected to said ball members for binding the same in the sockets.

4. In a doll, a torso having a flexible outer covering, a rigid socket member seated in the side of the torso and o ening outwardly therethrough and provi ed with an annular flange over which the edge portion of said covering is adapted to engage, a limb for the torso having a covering of flexible material, a rigid ball member fitting against the inner end of the limb adapted to seat in said socket and having an annular outstanding flange, the covering of the limb being adapted to be lapped over said flange for closing the upper /part of the limb about the ball member, and means for holding the ball member in the socket.

A 5. In a doll, a torso, a limb for the torso, a socket member mounted in the torso and opening outwardly therefrom and provided with an outstanding annular flange, a ball member fitting against the inner end of a limb and having an outstanding annular flange, the outer coverings of the torso and 10 the limb member being drawtn over the respective flan s of the socket and ball members, and raw strings disposed in said overturned portions of the coverings and adapted to be drawn taut for binding the 15 socket and ball members in their respective supports.

JENNIE SCHWABTE. 

